Monday, November 28, 2016

Sailing Group Recognizes Canadian Ham for Winlink Services


Ontario amateur Michael Moreau, VA3LKI, was one of six recipients of the 2016 Recognition Award from the Seven Seas Cruising Association, a worldwide group serving people who live aboard their sailboats or power cruisers. According to the association's website, Moreau was honored "for maintaining a Winklink RMS shore station outside Toronto for eight years, providing coverage across the North Atlantic and US Eastern Seaboard." Winkink 2K is a digital messaging mode using packet radio as well as internet links to provide communications services via Radio Mail Server (RMS) stations for sailors and others who are "off the grid" of the commercial telecommunications network.
 
Additional detail was provided by Dave Skolnick, KO4MI, who said in an e-mail that "Michael provided long and reliable service to licensed sailors and other cruisers truly off the grid. Cruisers across the North Atlantic depended upon Michael's station for weather information, contact with medical resources, and other important logistics needs."

VA3LKI's Winlink webpage is at <http://www.qsl.net/ve3lki/RMS/index.html>. A general Winlink information page is at <http://www.winlink.org/>.